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Bibs
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Username: Bibs

Post Number: 472
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 198.208.251.23
Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 1:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think Detroit’s reputation as a rough and tumble town was created during prohibition.

My Great Grand Father left Ohio and lived in Highland Park or Hamtramck for a brief period of time. He went to one of these city to tag along with beat cops to see all the crazy goings on. I think various prohibition gangs were going strong at the time. Al Capone was famous.

My neighbor told me that he went out West in the 40s. Stopped in a small town to have a beer and to play some pool. When one of the locals asked them where they were from he said, Detroit. Everyone in the bar quickly left because they thought they were gangsters or the mob.

My grandmother told me that her neighbors accused her of running booze because a milk truck got stuck in her drive way.
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Ltorivia485
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Username: Ltorivia485

Post Number: 2435
Registered: 08-2004
Posted From: 199.74.87.51
Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 1:49 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

What the hell? I think you're confusing Detroit with Chicago.
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Jt1
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Username: Jt1

Post Number: 6983
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 198.208.251.24
Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 1:54 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Detroit has a very strong history or organized crime, unorganized crime and violence. Regardless what some may say or think about the riots being the tipping point Detroit has always been a hotbed of violence.

The Purple Gang, booze running, violent union demonstration, riots. They are sadly a part of our history and have been a part of our history long before white flight.
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Ltorivia485
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Username: Ltorivia485

Post Number: 2438
Registered: 08-2004
Posted From: 199.74.87.51
Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 2:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

When it comes to organized crime in the Midwest, Chicago tends to have that reputation.
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Livernoisyard
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Username: Livernoisyard

Post Number: 278
Registered: 10-2004
Posted From: 69.242.223.42
Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 2:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Newark is the baddest of all crime cities.
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Paulmcall
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Username: Paulmcall

Post Number: 601
Registered: 05-2004
Posted From: 68.40.119.216
Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 2:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I don't think Detroit has to take a back seat to anyone in the crime area.
It's been a hard nose, two fisted type of town for a long time. Cetainly not for the faint of heart.
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Kimmiann
Member
Username: Kimmiann

Post Number: 23
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 155.139.50.15
Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 3:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Actually, Michigan went "dry" almost 3 full years before the rest of the country. Detroit and the rest of SEM had bootlegging down to a fine art by the time the Chicago gangsters got in on the act. My grandfather used to tell stories about really having to be careful stepping off the curb to cross the street in Wyandotte so as not to be run down by a rumrunner racing away from the river. Check out this article in The Detroit News Rear View Mirror.

http://info.detnews.com/histor y/story/index.cfm?id=181&categ ory=life
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 1873
Registered: 08-2004
Posted From: 4.229.3.249
Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 7:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Rumrunning across the Detroit River in the modern era would just not be the same. The river doesn't freeze over like it used to.

In fact when was the last time the Detroit River actually froze over solid enough to drive on??
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Johnnny5
Member
Username: Johnnny5

Post Number: 183
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 71.227.95.4
Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 7:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The river did not really freeze enough back then either. there are many rusted wrecks buried on the bottom from the days of prohibition.

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